For Task #4, I chose to create a journal entry. In fact, this will hopefully be the first of many entries in my new journal. Prior to this assignment, I had been attempting to document my son’s development and memories in a diary, but after a year or so, life got incredibly busy, and the activity fell to the wayside. I appreciate the opportunity to revisit this activity, as recording thoughts, ideas and memories through text helps to preserve the memories. Written text is described in From the Vault: Invention of the Book, Part 1 (2020), as the “freezing of thoughts”. With time moving at such a rapid pace, it’s easy to forget the little treasures, like the way my son adoboribly mispronounces words, or the various ways he tries to trick me into giving him sweets before dinner. I don’t want to forget. 

I was surprised at the fact that I had never previously considered books as “technology”, focusing “only on the content”, rather than the qualities of the book itself (2020). Utilizing books as a technology, an extension of the mind, to help extend our mind’s capabilities, will likely change how I perceive the role that writing plays in my life. 

Do you normally write by hand or type? Did you find this task difficult or easy? Explain.

I often use both writing by hand and typing in my daily activities. I’ve found numerous advantages and disadvantages to both methods. When taking notes, scheduling or making lists, I find writing by hand is more effective and enjoyable, but when composing formal letters, emails or essay type writing, I would be lost without a computer. Much like Paul Collier describes in Upside Down, Left To Right: A Letterpress Film, computers can “change things in an instant”. When editing text and copy and pasting, computer technology is second to none and allows me to organize my thoughts in a strategic and efficient manner.

I did find the process of completing an assignment by hand quite liberating. Allowing myself not to worry about the editing process, and just write what was on my mind.

What did you do when you made a mistake or wanted to change your writing? How did you edit your work? Did your choice of media play a part in how you edited your work?

I consciously made the decision to use a pen, as I didn’t want to have the opportunity to make any major revisions to my writing. I think my personality type naturally second guesses itself, and I often edit and revise my work and school work numerous times before finalizing, so this was quite a refreshing approach. Some scratching out of words and small grammatical revisions were made, but overall, very minimal. 

What do you feel is the most significant difference between writing by hand and using mechanized forms of writing? Which do you prefer and why?

Growing up in the 90’s and early 2000’s, I think I was probably one of the last generations that spent their high school careers focusing on writing by hand over mechanized forms of writing. As an artist and old graffiti writer, I feel there is an element of creativity and artistry to writing by hand. I recall me and my high school graffiti buddies sitting in the bleachers comparing notes and analyzing each other’s hand styles. I found it funny that we didn’t really care about the content of the notes, only about how they were written. When using a computer to type, the options are very limited and outside of the content, it doesn’t allow for much self expression. I definitely prefer writing by hand. I used to pride myself on the large callus on my index finger where my pen would sit. It has since been reduced to a small bump, which I intend on building back up and returning to it’s former glory.